Britney Spears says she was “not prepared for what happened” on Wednesday night after she approached San Antonio Spurs player Victor Wembanyama while at a restaurant.
Following reports that she was slapped by one of Wembanyama’s security team on Wednesday night after she approached the NBA player following a game, the singer posted a response to her Instagram stories, confirming the incident and detailing her experience.
“I recognized an athlete in my hotel lobby as I was heading to dinner. I later went to a restaurant at a different hotel and saw him again. I decided to approach him and congratulate him on his success,” she recalled. “It was really loud, so I tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. I’m aware of the player’s statement where he mentioned I grabbed him from behind, but I simply tapped him on the shoulder. His security then backhanded me in the face without looking back in front of a crowd.”
She added that she was “nearly knocked down” and hit so hard her glasses fell off her face.
Spears described the incident as “embarrassing” but said it was important to speak out “to urge people in the public eye to set an example and treat all people with respect. Physical violence is happening too much in this world, often behind closed doors. I stand with all victims and my heart goes out to all of you.”
In her story, Spears noted that “traumatic experiences are not new to me, and I have had my fair share of them,” but that she was “not prepared for what happened to me last night.” She also shared that she had yet to receive a public apology, but thanked the Las Vegas Police Department and their dectectives for their assistance Wednesday night.
“I get swarmed by people all the time,” she added later. “In fact, that night, I was run by a group of at least 20 fans, my security team didn’t hit any of them.”
The Las Vegas Police Department confirmed they responded regarding a battery investigation around 11 p.m. at a property in the 3700 block of Las Vegas Boulevard. No police report and no arrest or citations have been issued as of Thursday.
Speaking to a number of press members including ESPN NBA reporter Cassidy Hubbarth, Wembanyama described his experience, stating that Spears had “grabbed him from behind — not on my shoulder” and as far as he knew, security pushed the individual away. He was unclear on “how much force” was used.
He also shared he did not know it was Spears who had been reaching out to him as he “kept walking” as they were in a busy hallway and “there was a lot of people” including those who were calling him, but he had spoken with his security team about not stopping for anyone to avoid a security risk.
